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EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

by Paul W. West, Author | Thursday, April 20, 2017

Hi again, y'all,

I think the title of this blog, "EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR," is so true. I know it was for me. It took me a long time to get published, plus it took the help of some fantastic writers and critique partners to get there. But "Bridgetown High" is the result. It's not well known, yet, but those who have found it, and read it, loved it. Have you gotten your copy yet? Remember you can get it in either Kindle (electronic) or paperback versions. Either version can be found on Amazon. Also, remember, the sequel I'm calling, "The Bridge Beckons," is in the works.

Well, today I promised you I would talk a bit about Dean Koontz's advice that we have "well-drawn backgrounds." Koontz goes into a lot of detail about this subject.

Consider, for a moment, that if you've never been to the place where your novel is set, how can you portray it adequately so that the reader feels he/she knows the place? If the reader can't picture the place/setting he's going to toss the book in the trash. I've had to do that when critiquing some novels by new writers (that wasn't the only reason, but a big one). I simply couldn't follow the story, or get set in the background. It just didn't seem real.

I struggled with getting the setting right until I set my book in someplace recognizable. But even more than that, I also did a lot of research into background setting. It starts with a "real" funeral parlor in a real town, that even if you'd never been there you can still see it in your mind. Then, I set most of the novel in the shadow of the Carquinez Bridge overlooking the small town of Crockett, California. The bridge plays a big role in the story line. Actually, the Carquinez Bridge (about 35 miles northeast of San Francisco) is quite recognizable to anyone who's crossed it with the huge C&H Sugar refinery at the base of the south end of the bridge. Then, the next, and probably the biggest setting, is the local high school, John Swett High School in Crockett. I had to reach back in my memory banks a lot to make sure the setting was accurate the way things really were back in 1965, when the book is set, and that has been a big draw to readers who have been there.

Now, if I hadn't set the book in these settings, I suppose I could have set it anywhere, as long as I did the research sufficient to portray the setting accurately.

And, that's where science fiction and fantasy come in. Most often, these genre do not have known settings and the author, not if not doing a good job at the descriptions, asks us to suspend disbelief. To me, that's a tough assignment. These settings are most often totally made up by the author, hoping that the reader will follow the made up descriptions. Not an easy thing to do, but I applaud those who have done it successfully. Not being a huge fan of these genre, I frankly don't know how these authors do it. They have to completely create a new background and be true to it all the way through the story, and many times the background/setting becomes a character as well, with motives of its own.

That's all for today. If you have any questions, or don't understand something I said here, drop me an email (paulwwest@yahoo.com), or leave a comment on this blog or Facebook site where I also post these blogs.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a review and post it on Amazon or Goodreads. Also have you signed up for my email letters from this Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments, good or bad, to this blog. And also keep in mind "BRIDGETOWN HIGH" is still available on Amazon. Also, you can read some GREAT reviews of BRIDGETOWN HIGH on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about my novel. And keep in mind, if I ever get some free time, I have a sequel in the works.

(By-the-way, the above blued words are clickable links. Just hold down the Control key and click on the blue words.)

See y'all next week.

Paul

P.S. I have no idea who took that picture above, so I hope he/she doesn't mind my using it.

More on: critique, drugs, edgy, Editing, grammar, high school, John Swett, marketing, mystery, novels, plotting, publishing, revenge, review, reviewing, suspense, tragedy

About Paul West

Paul West is a freelance writer and novelist. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paul claims to be a "Prune Picker," though he now makes his home in Taylorsville, Utah.

You can follower him on Twitter: @PaulWWest

Published: Thursday, April 20, 2017

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Hey, Gang (all my family and friends):

I hope everyone is well and busy writing in your spare time -- which is most everyone's desire. I believe everyone has a book or two in them. I proved it by writing Bridgetown High.

I love this review by Josie Melendez on posted on December 3, 2015

She gave me 5 stars, and I like what she said about me and my writing:

"It is hard to believe that this book is this author’s debut novel. I have to say the author’s note referencing that the setting behind this story takes place in the mid-1960’s, had me nervous going in. However, I have to be honest, the way this author wrote this story I didn’t feel lost or unaware of the surroundings within. The start to this story nearly broke my heart. AND THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST PAGE! After that I knew I would not be able to put this book down. The story is told in multiple POV’s which I happened to enjoy a great deal.

"I do not want to say much or give anything away because this one needs to be read going in blindly. I will say, once I got to that Aha moment I was floored. I really enjoyed how the author used words, landmarks and life events to describe a setting or scene so that I really could imagine how it was in the 60’s. I can tell that this author researched a lot and put a lot of effort into this book. The conversations and language used in the book is how I would have expected it to be like in the 60’s. Like the close family unit, people’s view points on the Vietnam War and music.

"Mark’s pain, anguish, grief, rage and guilt over the loss of his parents and sister is felt on every page. I can’t imagine losing my family in such a tragic way, but his author was able to have me emotionally connect so much that I felt like I was there with him sharing his pain. Mark’s need for revenge of the person responsible for their death was palpable. The three characters that surround this book were very well developed. Mark, Gina and Jeff each have a story to tell and their lives are connected in some way. As the year unfolds secrets, manipulation and danger will follow the lives of these 3 teenagers.

"I got more than what I imagined I would have when I started this book. The drama and angst level was over the top. If you love a book that has drama, action, suspense, jealously and fast cars then this is your book. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I can’t wait to see what this author brings us next."

Isn't that a great review?

Now, guess what?

I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that my publisher, Limitless Publishing, and I are going to do another Blog Tour for Bridgetown High. Along with the tour, we're going to give away some electronic versions of the book. Keep posted as I haven't set it up yet, but will soon and want to be able to let you know. Maybe you can join in the tour and gain some publicity as well.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a short review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my correct author page at Amazon.

Also, remember to sign up for my email letters on my Blog Site. I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. Have a wonderful week.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

FREE, FREE, FREE!!!

On top of wanting to be an author, everyone wants something for free.

Well, your desire for something FREE is about to happen. Next Tuesday, November 22, 2016, Bridgetown High will be on sale for FREE! through Amazon. I hope everyone will take advantage of this sale. I don't do this often. I'd rather get paid for my work, but I've been told that the exposure generated by a freebee is worth it.

Gaining exposure is key to selling books. I mean, think about it, if no one know about you and your book, how can they buy it.

Okay. One request. You knew there would be a string, didn't you? Well, the string is not attached, so don't get shook up over it. I've asked this before, if you like Bridgetown High, please write a review. It would also help if you Tweeted and Shared this posting with all your Facebook and Twitter "friends" so they'll know about me and my book.

Are you willing to do that? You don't have to, but it sure would be nice if you did.

So until next week, I won't be posting as usual on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), but expect me to post again next Wednesday instead. But you can read this anytime you want.

So, until then I'll wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

(And don't forget Christmas is coming, hmmm)

See y'all next week,

Paul W West, Author

Bridgetown High

Hi all my friends and family. I know it's been several days since I last posted something here. I hope you'll all forgive me, but sometimes work gets in the way of more important things like writing.

However, I have been working hard behind the lines, so to speak, marketing my novel "Bridgetown High." By the way, have you purchased a copy of it yet? It's available at Barnes & Noble for an electronic copy or Amazon for a paperback or kindle copy.

BUT here is a HUGE SURPRISE toward the end of this month (November 2016) the electronic version will be on sale for FREE, but only for five days. More details about where you can get this deal will be coming. Keep posted.

Do I think the book isn't worth anything? NO. So, why am I doing this? It's call exposure. With my book available for free, there are several promo sites that will advertise it for free to all their contacts for five days. My publisher is excited about doing this and is planning a marketing blitz along with new graphics. I'm excited and I hope you will too.

Keep in mind, Christmas is coming and this would make a great Christmas gift for your Teens and adults as well.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Re-tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a short review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page at Amazon.

Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to this blog. And keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available at Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and several other places I can't remember, both in kindle e'book, and paperback, which I recommend. You can read some GREAT reviews about Bridgetown High on Amazon and Goodreads in case you need more info about it

See y'all next week,

Paul W West, Author

Bridgetown High

Hello to all y friends and family. Did you miss me? I've been gone for almost 3 weeks. You don't have answer that.

If you're here for the first time, welcome. If you liked my postings on Facebook, you'll equally enjoy the postings I put here. If you're not signed up to my email list, please remember to do so, so you will be notified when I make a posting.

I thought this week that I would take up some serious issues some people have had with my novel, "Bridgetown High." That being, my characters' dialogs and the ending of my book.

A Great Christmas Gift Idea

I guess I can understand why a few people have been put off by the colloquialisms I used in some of the dialog. They either didn't live during the era in which this story is set, or they've forgotten how some people talked back then. Frankly, I've done my best to research the conditions and attitudes of people and tried to mimic the speech patterns of such groups as Italian immigrants, Spanish speaking Mexican immigrants, plus hippie jargon, and the speech patterns of ignorant teenagers who turn out to be dropouts, then the antagonists.

TIP FOR YOU: Speaking of characters' dialog, when writing your best selling novel, do your best to make dialog as realistic as possible. Listen to people -- how they talk, phrases they use. However, dialog can't have all the hms and hums or stuttering as most people do, unless the character needs to be a stutterer for some reason. Make sure your dialog is clean and realistic.

Another issue some people have had with "Bridgetown High" was the unexpected twist in the end. Actually, it shouldn't come as unexpected. All through the book I've lead up to it, and to a few other twists as well. However, all I can say now is, I'm writing a sequel. Keep posted. All will be revealed in due time.

TIP FOR YOU: When writing your best selling novel, make sure all your twists are logical from what has transpired previously in the story. I've read some otherwise good novels that when they got to the last chapter, the twist didn't work, in my opinion. Not only that, but the denouement goes on for several chapters -- wrong too!

With all that in mind, most readers of "Bridgetown High" have loved it and did not find fault with it. Even with a couple of negative ratings, it's still rating 4.3 on a scale of 5 at Amazon, 4.36 on Goodreads, and 4.5 on Barnes and Noble. Not bad, but I need more reviews, even negative reviews will be welcomed. I'm not upset about negative reviews. They only help me to write better and avoid mistakes.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Re-tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a short review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page at Amazon.

See y'all next week,

Paul W West, Author

Bridgetown High

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi all my friends and followers.

Welcome to my weekly magazine, if you can call it that, he he.

This week since I've cultivated a lot of new followers and friends, I thought I'd talk a bit about what this site is all about -- me.

Well, not really all about me. More about my novel "Bridgetown High" where readers can find out more about me and "Bridgetown High" and also about what is going on in my writing life. By the way, would you like a free kindle copy of my book? Read on for more details.

Maybe some of you aren't aware that my novel is set in the towns I grew up in. If you are familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area, you might be familiar with the towns of Crockett, Port Costa, and Rodeo. If you're not familiar with those towns, maybe you have heard of Vallejo. It's just north of those three towns, across the Carquinez Straits.

The story is set in those three towns and in particular the high school where kids from those town go to school.

If you've read the back cover page of "Bridgetown High" you'll recognize this setting, particularly the Carquinez Bridge where so much of the tragedies depicted in the book take place. Here is a short synopsis of the book.

Seventeen year old Mark Wilkerson has no memory of the fiery crash that killed his family on the Carquinez Bridge… Living with his grandmother and burdened with guilt, Mark vows to find the hit-and-run driver and take his revenge. The only detail he remembers is round taillights swerving in front of his family’s car, and he’s shocked when he notices the car of the high school’s bully, Jeff Marino, has identical taillights—and a suspicious dent. Now he wants revenge more than ever… Jeff believes Mark is an anti-Vietnam War activist like his cousin Gary—and despises him for it. To make matters worse, when Jeff’s girlfriend Genie Lombardi dumps him for Mark, it kicks Jeff’s hatred for him to a dangerous new level. Lies and threats escalate, until drugs and a shocking death send Jeff over the edge, and his campaign to get Genie back any way he can turns violent. When Mark’s memory begins to return, it leads to a terrifying confrontation. Will he finally prove the identity of the guilty driver? Or will he and Genie become one more tragedy associated with the Carquinez Bridge?

If you want to find the answers to those story questions, come to my Amazon page and order a copy of my book. It's really a fun read, and has gotten several great reviews. If you are willing to write a review, let me know and I can give you a free electronic Kindle copy.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Re-tweet" it on Twitter. Then PLEASE, take five minutes to write a short review of "Bridgetown High" and post it on my author page at Amazon.

See y'all next week,

Paul W West, Author

Bridgetown High

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again to all my friends and followers. Today, I'm a little rushed. My family and I are close to leaving for a short vacation.

But, nevertheless, I feel an obligation to write something about the process of novel writing.

How many of you have suffered with "writer's block?" I know I have. But going back to Dean Koontz book on "How to Write Best Selling Fiction," he has some ideas that I've found helpful.

There are several ideas such as being relaxed when trying to come up with something to write, or read books of a similar genre, etc.

But the method that I think is most helpful to me is to go back a couple or so pages, begin reading and making some small edits along the way, and by the time you get to where you last left off, your mind should be back in the proverbial "groove."

I hope that helps some of you.

I wish I had more time, but even an author has to take some time off to regenerate his/her mind -- and that's another method that can work to crash through writer's block.

So, until next week, as always, if you like this blog, please remember to "Share" and "Like"it on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book (especially on Amazon). Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High. And if you think of it, a review on Amazon or Goodreads, would be very welcomed.

Hi, all my faithful friends and followers. I see my email list is growing (slightly, ha ha). Welcome to all of you.

Today, I'm going to talk (type) a bit more about Dean Koontz's recommendations, that being "clear, believable motivations."

I mean, if the motivations ain't clear, who cares? I think motivations are closely related to plot. They are what carry the story, but they also need to be believable.

So, how do you do that? In my novel "Bridgetown High," Mark's motivations are obvious. In Chapeter 1, page 1, he is viewing his family in their closed coffins and the longer he looks, the more angry he becomes, until at the end of the chapter he vows revenge against the person who killed them. Pretty clear? He's got a motive.

I've read some wannabe writers who just didn't have the motivations. It was more like reading a travelog. As the story went along, the motivations came but still a bit fuzzy.

To make my characters' motivations believable I use logic. I'm a stickler for logic. When beginning a story, I ask myself, why would each character think or act the way they do? And, yes. Each and every character needs a motive. Even minor characters can have a motive, though all the main characters NEED to have a motive, including the antagonist. In my novel it's Jeff (if you have read it you'll know what I mean). Jeff has his motives too. He is from the poor side of town, falls in love with a beautiful girl, Genie, and hates Mark for stealing her away, though he doesn't understand why she would go with Mark instead of him. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but know there's motivation there.

Work on it. This will be your assignment for the coming week. I want you all to report back and let me know how you are including motives and how motive is helping round out your characterization as well as growing the plot.

In the meantime, if you are finding these little teaching sessions helpful (or not), please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Re-tweet" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? This will help greatly with the sales (and I need your help here).

I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. Also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember, and for this week only, it's on sale for $0.99 for the electronic copy. Also, you can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites, but especially Amazon and Goodreads.

Hey, all my faithful followers and friends. Have you seen it? Go to my page at Amazon. Do you see it? The price of my novel's kindle version is reduced. Share this to your friends. I need to sell 10,000 copies by July 10th, the end of the promotion period. (DREAM!). Ha ha. Anyway, Share this with all your "friends" on Facebook and Twitter.

Today I thought I'd mention some more about characterization, but more specifically about building tension. You need tension or reading a novel without tension is a waste of time. You need to have something the protagonist needs, or is having trouble with. So, how do you achieve that?

First, like I said, having some kind of trouble, or as Dean Koontz says "terrible trouble." The beginning of that should begin, or be at least hinted at, from the very first sentence or paragraph, and should be expounded on by the end of the first page.

Another tool to build tension is in every scene -- in every conversation, be it protagonist versus antagonist, or even between friends. Every conversation should be an argument, if you will. Not hateful or condemning, but disagreeing about something.

Take a look at "Bridgetown High." I've tried hard to make the conversations between characters in every scene, including the opening scene, a disagreement, or an argument, about something. In the opening scene, Mark is having internal dialogue where he feels guilty about what happened to his family. Then, he argues with his grandmother as he vows to get even with whoever killed his family.

I hope that's understandable. Anyway, as always, please remember to "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book (especially on Amazon). Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High.

Good afternoon, all my faithful friends and followers.

I hope you're all getting some good ideas to generate a great plot.

Today, I'm going to cover the next issue Dean Koontz's high school teacher taught him: "You need a hero or a heroine or both."

Can you imagine a story without a hero or heroine? What would that be? Boring! Jack London's novels "Call of the Wild," and "White Fang" had heros -- the dogs.

I suppose if you are writing in first person, the first person narrator would automatically be the hero/heroine. Or would it? I can imagine a first person narrator relating the story of someone else, probably from his memory of the circumstances that spawned the story. In that situation, the story is really being told in third person. Either way, you still need a hero or heroine. How do you decide who that is going to be?

In Bridgetown High, Mark is the first person we meet and the story pretty much follows his struggles through to the end. But there are other characters that we learn about as we read the novel. The main heroine in this book would have to be Genie. We watch her struggles too and care about what happens to her.

But Gary, Charisse, and even Jeff (the antagonist) have their stories that make us care for them as well. So, are they also heros or heroines? I purposely wrote a sub-plot for each of them that ties together with Mark's story in the end. So, while not being main characters, they still have their own stories and are heros or heroines in their own minds.

Does that make any sense? So, how can someone as despicable as Jeff be a hero? I went deep into his mind and found he has some deep-seated psycological issues brought on by his upbringing including an abusive father and hard working mother who never had time for him. Would you call him a hero? In his story, his actions are heroic in his mind.

For each of my main characters I've done the same, making them likable, or at least sympathetic. I think that is what made Bridgetown High the great story it is.

If you haven't done so yet, you'll have to read "Bridgetown High" to see what I mean. Please let me know what you think.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High. In fact I just got another great review from a follower that should be posted in the next few days.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Greetings to all my friends and followers. How's your writing going?

What? You haven't started yet?

Get going. Your story won't write itself (to coin cliche')

Last week I talked about Dean Koontz's high school teacher who said the following: "The average reader demands eight things of a novel: 1) a strong plot; 2) a great deal of action; 3) a hero or a heroine or both; 4) colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations; 5) clear, believable motivations; 6) well-drawn backgrounds; 7) at least some familiarity with the rules of English grammar and syntax - the more familiarity the better, of course 8) a style which embodies at least a trace of lyrical language and as many striking images as possible, for good writing is always vivid and visual."

I'm only repeating it here in case you missed it and don't want to scroll down to last week's posting.

Let's take a closer look at the first thing she suggested -- "a strong plot."

This is essential. Without a strong plot you might was well be writing a term paper. So-called "literary" novels usually don't have much of a plot, if any, and they are usually boooorrring! And to some, they aren't really novels. So, what makes for a strong plot?

There are lots of ways you can spin your imagination. Some writers use plot wheels, plot cards, etc. As for me, I've mentioned this in earlier posts, one of my college professors taught me to begin with a strong scene in mind, one that places the main character in some kind of terrible trouble, then dream up an ending that wraps up all the loose ends. Ss you write, everything you write must work toward that ending. I have to admit, however, I don't have a strong ending in mind for my sequel to Bridgetown High yet, but I have begun writing the opening chapter. I do have an ending, just not one I'm super happy with -- yet. It will come.

Once you begin writing your novel, don't be afraid to deviate and let the story wander, as long as you can tie all the loose ends together by the ending.

When I began writing "Bridgetown High," I actually ended with what I had originally used for my opener. How did that happen? Long story, don't ask, but it worked. Then, as I got more and more into the story, a love story between Mark's cousin, Gary and Kathy, developed. Then Jeff was created who was overly jealous with anyone who had it for Genie -- especially Mark. Genie originally started out as a not so nice girl, but that changed as I got to know her better. Then, I developed another sub-plot with Charisse who Mark is crazy about, at first, but he eventually learns she's not the girl he wants for eternity.

All these sub-plots gave color to the story line, as these characters tended to take on a life of their own.

You'll have to read "Bridgetown High" to see what I mean. Please let me know what you think.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter, then PLEASE, write a review and post it on all the sites where you can find my book. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites if you need more info about Bridgetown High.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again, to all my faithful friends and followers.

So, how are you doing with your writing. Did last week's post teach you what not to do? I ran my review past the author of the novel I was reviewing and she agreed with my rating of 3 stars out of 5 and understood why: that I wasn't trying to be critical, but helpful. Maybe she's following this blog??? If so, I'd love for her to comment.

This week, I'm going to talk about what it takes to be a best-selling author. A long time ago, 1972, Dean Koontz published a very helpful book titled: "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." I cut my writerly teeth on that book and wish I had a copy of it, even today. But I did take some notes that have helped me a great deal. Over the weeks I'll share some of them with you.

The first notes I have, he quoted his high school teacher who said the following: "The average reader demands eight things of a novel: 1) a strong plot; 2) a great deal of action; 3) a hero or a heroine or both; 4) colorful, imaginative, and convincing characterizations; 5) clear, believable motivations; 6) well-drawn backgrounds; 7) at least some familiarity with the rules of English grammar and syntax - the more familiarity the better, of course 8) a style which embodies at least a trace of lyrical language and as many striking images as possible, for good writing is always vivid and visual."

I could write a college thesis on each of those subjects. Maybe I will go over them in greater detail in the coming weeks. I think they give a lot of food for thought - to spin a cliche'.

One thing Mr. Koontz didn't cover was how publishing has changed from the old find an agent who will find a publisher for you. Today, agents are still around, but difficult to find, and most traditional publishers these days require authors to do most of their own marketing, and independent self-publishing requires writers to do pretty much the same (a lesson I still haven't digested).

Take a close look at the list of eight things readers demand and see how they can help with your writing.

In the meantime, please "Share" and "Like" this blog post on Facebook , and "Retweet" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourself and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble and a few other places I can't remember. You can read some GREAT reviews of Bridgetown High on all of these sites.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

After all I've said about becoming an author, do you still want to be one?

Hi again to all my wonderful friends and followers. Of course you do. I knew going into this business that I couldn't help myself. I had to write. Then, I had to find a way to publish my writings. That meant writing quality stuff, things anyone would like to read.

After publishing Bridgetown High, I've gotten mostly 5 star reviews with a few 4.5 stars. You can check them out at GoodReads. My latest was a review I got for reviewing another author's (J.S. Frankle) novel. With his permission I'm posting it here:

This.was an excellent novel. After finishing Bridgetown High, I was left with a feeling of nostalgia, of things that were and of things that might have been. Hard to believe it's the first novel this author has ever written, but it's a hell of a debut. The rating given is four stars, but it's really closer to a four-point-five effort.

What Bridgetown High deals with is loss, guilt and forgiveness, along with the minutia of everyday life for a high school student in the 1960's--Mark. He's recently suffered the loss of his parents due to a horrific traffic accident--and the opening chapter really brings that loss into focus--and has to live with his grandmother. He also has to suffer being the odd person out at his high school, going from a somewhat preppy existence to a place in the boondocks, as it were, and dealing with the local riffraff. And he has his heart set on the local girl who is fancied by the scumbag who ALSO happens to be Mark's nemesis in the novel. How's that for a coincidence?

In lesser hands, it would have been obvious and pure melodrama. And while it's sort of convenient, Mr. West makes the most of a large cast of characters, showcasing them in sharply drawn portraits. Add in mystery, young romance, and the novel builds slowly but surely to a denouement that is satisfactory to all--or should be. In spite of the book's length--roughly 370 pages--it moves along at a solid pace, neither too fast nor too slow. The viewpoints from the various characters presented are fine, and while there are a few forgivable lapses in the narrative, overall, it's so solid that I can't really fault it in any way. I look forward to more of this author's work.

Highly recommended.

After reading Bridgetown High, I've had several people, tell me I need to write a sequel. I guess they loved my book that much. As I'm considering it, I'm reminded of some of the rules of beginning a novel. The opening paragraph, or at least the opening page, should plunge your main character into some kind of terrible trouble. I probably didn't do that all that well with Bridgetown High, but I fudged and made the opener a tear-jerker instead, with Mark pining for his lost family, and vowing revenge. So, if I do start a sequel, I need to keep that in mind, and it must also flow from the previous novel somehow.

I need to quit for now, but before I go, I need to ask, have you "Liked" and "Shared" this blog post on Facebook yet, or "Retweeted" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes&Noble. You can read some GREAT reviews on all of these sites.

SO, DO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR?

Greetings to all my faithful followers and friends. I have to apologize for not writing to you for almost 2 weeks. Frankly, I have no excuse (other than I have been sick in bed for most of it). But, now I'm back.

Have you "Liked" and "Shared" this blog post on Facebook yet, or "Retweeted" it on Twitter yet. Also have you signed up for my email letters on my Blog Site? I would love to see you there and have you introduce yourselves and give comments to my posts. And also keep in mind "Bridgetown High" is still available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. You can read some GREAT reviews on both of them.

I think I ended my last post, explaining about how I began "Bridgetown High." If you remember I had a college professor who taught me to define a beginning and ending and work the story toward the two.

I also read a book by Dean Koontz called "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." It's a great book for anyone wanting to write best selling novels (though his methods in today's book markets are a bit obsolete.

But back then (30 or so years ago) I started with trying to work out an opening scene. It needed to plunge my main character into some kind of trouble. My first idea was to have Mark sitting in his classroom, watching the clock tick off the minutes 'till the end of class. He is nervous. Sweat drops from his underarms and he hopes he's not going to be offensive when he asks Charisse for a date. It's kind of exciting, but after further consideration I felt that that was too far into the story and I needed to begin earlier. That's when I came up with the ending. I felt that would be more enticing, and at first I put it as the opening scene. Then, I still needed an ending, but I did come up with something you'll have to read for yourself (no spoilers allowed on this blog site). It was only at the insistence of my former critique group members, that I put the beginning at the end -- again, you'll have to read the book to know what I mean.

To say the least, "Bridgetown High" went through many revisions and edits before it was ready for publication.

More next week.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

Hi again to everyone.

Do you really want to be an author? I have to admit, though it's been a rough row to how, it's been a lot of fun too.

Did you enjoy reading that excerpt I posted last week? I must have written and rewritten that scene 30 or 40 times. As I said before, I started this novel some 30 years ago. Hopefully it won't take you that long. Most of that time was spent trying to find an agent, but I also spent a lot of time writing and editing and rewriting until I got the book as good as I could.

It helped having a critique group. My "Writer's Pen" group was a huge help. The members were all great writers. Some of them, like me, were eventually published. Some wrote fantasy. Some wrote horror. Some wrote science fiction. Some like me, wrote young adult coming of age.

So, how did I begin? I think I started writing about this in my post a few weeks ago, but I'll take the chance I won't repeat myself too much.

I began with a strong desire to write something. So, with a pad of paper and a pen, I began. At first, the only time I had to write was during my lunch breaks. And that has pretty much been the way it was ever since. Before I had access to a computer, I would leave my office and go down to my car and with oldies playing on the radio, I started jotting down some ideas.

At first, I just wanted to write about my life in high school. But that idea didn't go very far. I had a pretty boring high school life, ha ha. Soon, I realized I was writing about my high school days, but no one in particular. Mark and Gary, Charisse and Genie, and Jeff and Bobby are all made up. I suppose if you were to examine these characters closely enough you'd see something of yourself in one or more of my characters, but I suppose that's the way it is with every novel. We all tend to identify with one or more of the characters in the story.

So, where did I begin? I know I've said this before, but I started with a rough idea of a beginning and struggled to come up with a logical climax and ending. I read with relish a book by Dean Koontz called "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction." His training (if I can call it that) was wonderful. I read "How To" books from several other writers as well. All of them said to begin by plunging your main character into some kind of terrible trouble. Then, as they try to solve their trouble, they get into deeper and deeper trouble, until the ending when everything is resolved, hopefully happily.

This post is getting kind of long, so I'll save more of this for later. I hope this gives you some hope and an increased desire to write. Like I said, it's fun and rewarding, even if it's a struggle at times.

Good luck. Please remember to "Like" and "Share" this post if you're reading it on Facebook, or "Re-Tweet" it if you're on Twitter. Also, for those who have read "Bridgetown High" or are in the process of reading it, a review on Amazon would be much appreciated.

Hello again to all my faithful followers and friends.

It looks like there are a lot of you out there who would love to be a writer, especially a published writer, or in other works, an author. That's the definition of published writer -- an author. I can see by the number of visits my last post generated that my following is growing. That's important for a writer, especially since that could generate sales.

I've probably said this before, but for a author, the more "Likes" you get the higher can be your rank on Amazon, and the higher your rank, the more likely you'll get sales.

Likewise, the more "Shares" you get the the more exposure you will get, as every time someone "Shares" your work it can get exposed to everyone on that person's time-line on Facebook, especially if you share it with the "Public."

There's something else that's important, and that's reviews. I read somewhere that for an author to be successful, he/she should get at least 25 reviews -- the more the better. So far, I've gotten only 9 or 10.

And speaking of reviews, I just got a wonderful one the other day from an author named Jesse Frankle and I want to share it with you:

Howdy. Finished your novel and the review is up on Goodreads. This is your first novel? Holy damn, I was impressed!!

His full review can be seen on his goodreads site:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1567640174?book_show_action=false

I hope you'll enjoy this review. Thanks for following me. It's exciting to see my book gaining in popularity, and it's a lot because of you.

Thank you, all of you.

So, after reading my last post, especially the part where it took me 30 years to get "Bridgetown High" published, do you still want to be an author?

It ain't easy, but as you write, if you truly want to be published, it becomes a passion that you just can't get over. While most people don't have it so rough as me, I write this to encourage you, my faithful followers, to not give up, not matter how difficult it seems. I mean, if I can do this, you can too.

I was fortunate, after several years of working on it, to finally find a critique group on line that helped me greatly. Over those years, I couldn't decide on a title. I started with "Mark and Genie's story," went on with "The Bridge Beckons," even tried "Bridgetown High," but tossed them all. Did I say, tossed them all? Even "Bridgetown High?" Yup. But as I kept trying different titles, "Bridgetown High" kept resonating with me. I asked my critique group their opinion and they liked it too. Well, I told myself, I'll go with it, knowing a publisher would change it any way.

So, began the arduous task of sending out query letters to agents. I tried to send out at least 5 queries a week, but rarely did that many. Years passed -- only got rejections. I don't have an actual count, probably sent out more than 200, maybe more than 300 query letters. Most agents never responded. Those that did, just said things like, "Not for me."

I considered self publishing it, but that idea scared me. Maybe it won't scare you, but I knew I didn't have the money for professional editing, cover design, and time to market it.

Then a high school friend of mine read some of my Facebook musings and gave me a referral to a published friend of hers, Theresa Messenger (don't know if I spelled that right or not). I contacted her and found out she is published through Limitless Publishing and agreed to let me use her name in contacting her publisher about my book. It was a long shot at best, but you know the adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

They accepted it!!! And they kept my title!

I was shocked. A real publisher accepted it. They even did the necessary editing and made up the cover design. So, after signing the contracts, they even did a lot of the first blush marketing for me. That was great. I still have to do a lot, if not most, of the marketing, but I'm learning how and that's becoming a big help.

More later.

P.S. Please don't forget to "Like" and "Share" this post to all your "Friends" in Facebook, and "Re-Tweet" it to your friends in Twitter too.

BTW, don't miss future posts. Let me email them directly to your email. Add you email address to the "Subscribe" box on the side bar.

Thanks.

Good afternoon, all you my faithful followers.

This journey through writing and publishing is getting more and more exciting. I now have more than 2,000 followers, and I'm hoping some of you are as excited about my novel "Bridgetown High" as I am. Looking at some of my "Friends" on Facebook, I'm finding that people from all over the United States are learning about my novel. I've even found several from England and Australia, and even one from Ghana and another from the Middle East, though I hate to admit I can't remember which country.

This electronic age is amazing.

By the way, if you've read Bridgetown High, have you though to add a review on the Amazon site? You can go there by following this link.

Also, please remember to "Like" and "Share" this post on my Facebook site, and "ReTweet" on my Twitter site and posts. They both really do help with the sales.

Today, I thought I might tell you about another character in my novel - Suzie.

Suzie is an unpopular girl, totally absorbed with herself. She lives for her dogs and cats and Barbies - believe it or not. That is until she meets Mark at the funeral of Mark's family. Mark doesn't remember her until he starts school at the new high school, "John Swett High School." Then, she becomes obsessed with Mark, hoping he'll ask her for a date. When he does finally give in to her flirtations, only because he can't get anyone else to go with him, the date becomes a disaster, and so does their relationship, but she teaches Mark a good lesson.

You'll have to read the book to find out how much of a disaster and what kind of disaster.

So, until I get another chance to write here, I wish you all well and if you're a writer, I urge you to keep writing, reading, writing, reading, etc. LOL. Writing and getting published is only half the job. Marketing it is the other half, but in a couple of weeks I should find out how rewarding it is.

Hi again, all my faithful followers.

Did you like my expose' on Charisse Davis, one of the main characters in "Bridgetown High?" If so, I hope you will "Like" and "Share" and/or "ReTweet" This post. I have a goal to make this novel into a best-seller. Ha, ha, I even had a couple of readers suggest it could be a movie. Not sure I would go that far.

A few days ago, I finally got some time to work on "GERTA!" I have 45 pages written so far. I know. I have a long way to go. But, I need to confess, this is a 4th or 5th edit of this part of the book. It's the ending that I can't seem to get.

That brings me to a technique I learned in a creative writing course in college. For my Communications requirement I signed up to a Communications class (imagine that). The professor had one requirement -- write 1000 words (real tough). It could be about anything as long as it made sense and communicated some idea. Seeing my work, he suggested I enroll in a Creative Writing class. It was half way through the semester, but I agreed. I didn't get much in the way of lasting ideas, but one thing he taught me is this:

For the final test in the class, he wrote two seemingly unrelated sentences on the chalk board. He told us we had to begin a short story (500 words) with the first sentence and end it with the second sentence. That, I have to admit, was a tough challenge. The two seemed to have nothing to do with each other. But I began, knowing I had to connect them somehow. Well, to make a long story short, I got the only "A" on the test, and one of the few in the class.

So, since then, I've tried to write all my fiction that way. Create a hook for the opening, then work toward the final that I've pre-created for the story.

Maybe that bit of advice will help you too.

Hi everyone.

I just got notified that my novel's cover has been nominated for 2015 Best Young Adult General Cover by New LDS Fiction. You can see the posting here: http://www.newldsfiction.com/2015-ya-general/

I won't know if I won for a few days, but it's exciting to just to be nominated. I think someone upstairs is watching over me and my novel.

For many of you who are new to my ramblings, I've found a lot of people on Facebook who are from the towns and area, including John Swett High, where my novel is set. I welcome you, and everyone else I've "Friended" over the past few weeks and months. It's so nice to connect with all of you. I hope you will post your email on the side-bar so you won't miss all the excitement I'm sharing as I go through the writing, querying, publishing, and marketing struggles. It's really been a "trip," as Gary, one of the main characters in my novel Bridgetown High, would say.

Since I mentioned him, maybe I'll to ahead and introduce him to you. Gary Johnson is Mark Wilkerson's brother. Mark it the main character in the book. Gary is a bit unconventional -- a hippy if you will. I love his speech patterns, but his use of the word "like" in a lot of his sentences does get a bit tiring. But. that's Gary. He has a mind of his own and is extremely loyal to Mark, even if they do have their differences at times. In addition to being a hippy, he is also a member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). You can look that up in your Funk & Wagnall. Near the beginning of the story, Gary is asked to the "Vice-Versa" dance by a nerdy girl named Kathy Kelly (unique, I know). Thus starts a platonic love affair that just keeps going throughout the story.

I won't tell you any more. Sorry. You'll just have to meet Gary for yourself as you read Bridgetown High. But, I will say this, he plays an integral role in the climax of the story.

If you don't already have a copy of my novel, get one. Each of the characters has their own story. You won't be disappointed. Go to here http://www.amazon.com/dp/1680583093/ref=cm_sw_su_dp to read the reviews.

Also, don't forget to "Share" and "Like" this post. Thanks. The more everyone does that, the more people will get excited and want to read my book.

Thanks

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN AUTHOR

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